Okla. Dentist's Former Assistant Gave Anesthesia, Didn't Know It Was Illegal

But Harrington's former employee said she had no idea it was illegal. She said she didn't think Harrington knew either.

"I'm still praying that all this comes back positive for him," she said. "He was a great guy to work for, so I'm floored and very defensive about all this stuff they're coming up with. Either things have really changed in that office or they're digging really deep for dirt."

The former employee said she "bawled" on the day she left Harrington's practice for a job closer to home. Despite the allegations against Harrington, she said she would bring her children to see him today if they needed oral surgery.

She said she suspected that even though it's illegal for dental assistants in Oklahoma to help with anesthesia, dentists other than Harrington probably allow them to administer it, too. She said she doesn't know a single oral surgeon who has a registered nurse on staff, and that surgeons likely often ask their assistants to handle anesthesia when they're in the middle of surgery and have bloody gloves.

"It's common sense to have someone with available hands as opposed to you breaking surgery, getting the vial, getting anesthesia, then going back," she said. "He would never, never harm anybody."